by Zina Abbott
Luke quickly found the hen house. Someone had let the chickens out into a fenced yard. He suspected that meant someone might come before nightfall to feed them and get them back inside the safety of their enclosure. It gave him a chance to raid the nests of five eggs. Afterward, he secured the eggs the best he could with a hope they would not break on his trip back to Tex’s cabin. He chased down a plump hen and twisted the neck. He would wait until he arrived closer to the cabin to dress it so he could salvage the organ meat.
Once he had the chicken hidden under the covering of his pack, Luke approached the cabin. The ground remained damp and hard-packed from a recent rain, but there was little mud. He knocked as much wet soil off of his boots as he could before entering.
He planned to leave the widow some money to cover the cost of what he took. Not having to meet her face-to-face, which meant there was one less person who could identify him, was boon enough. Not counting the second half eagle Luke had put under the sole of his other boot—money he figured Charley owed him for interest and the aggravation—he had only a few coins left should they need anything else.
Luke could not resist the temptation to look around to see what other foodstuffs the woman had on hand. He grinned when he found the large crock filled with rice. He returned outside long enough to pull his small coffee pot out of his saddlebag and fill it with about two cups of the grain. He found a bowl on the shelf above the dry sink, set it on the table and placed six bits inside. He figured it should be more than enough to cover everything. Hopefully, she also would think so and forget about the purchase.
Luke secured his cache and rode northwest towards the woods. He already took note of how the forested ridge ran almost due north until it curved towards the east. He decided to ride inside the cover of trees until he was far north of Bridgeport. From there, he continued east until he reached the mountains. Only then did he turn south to make his way to the cabin.
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Chapter 17
~o0o~
North of Bodie, California ~ September, 1884
H er eyes still covered by the blindfold, Loi sat on the log stool she had managed to roll to a place where the morning sun shining into the open doorway of the cabin warmed her.
When Tex had first stolen her off the stagecoach, Loi had been frightened that they might kill her or physically abuse her to cause her pain. Although she still felt stiff and sore from the long horse ride to the cabin, the men had not seriously harmed her. The only discomfort she experienced now was a headache and stomach gripe from the bad food her captor offered her. How these uncivilized Americans could eat a meal of nothing but beans flavored only with a little salt and not be constantly sick baffled her. She missed her dietary staples of rice and tea.
Loi’s fear had now morphed into anger. They had no right to steal her off of the stagecoach and hold her after they already took all the money she carried. Whether they returned her to Ah Chin in Lundy or the On Yick tong in Chinatown, she would no doubt suffer for being a victim of a situation over which she had no control.
Loi could hear the man named Tex pace impatiently outside the door. Although he had not mistreated her, once she was alone with him, his disagreeable and impatient attitude had left her feeling uneasy. He was built thick and bulky like Ox-Head, the other demon guardian of hell. However, from what she recalled, he possessed the coloring of a man—a bad man, but human. It was the man with the red hair and the high-pitched laugh that sounded like a horse neighing she feared might be the human embodiment of the demon, Horse-Face.
During the two nights alone with Tex, he had reluctantly tossed her a horse blanket and told her to sleep next to the fire. Although she shivered most of the night, and woke several times to add wood to the fire, she preferred it to being forced to service him. This morning, she sought the heat of the sun in an effort to recapture the heat she had lost during the darkness.
Unfortunately, she could tell she needed privacy again soon. She knew it would annoy Tex when she asked.
As she gripped her middle and rocked side to side in an attempt to relieve her discomfort, Loi cocked her ear towards the sound of an approaching horse. She fought down the rising panic threatening to overwhelm her at the prospect of once again dealing with Horse-Face—the man called Boss. She hoped it was the man they called Shorty who had returned.
Tex rushed into the cabin. She heard him load his arms with several items she suspected were his tack and saddle before he hurried back towards the door. On his way back out, something bulky and solid slammed into her shoulder and almost knocked her to the ground.
After Tex strode outside, she heard him drop his heavy load on the ground. She listened as he led his horse to the front of the cabin.
Tex called to the approaching rider. “About time y’all got back, Shorty. Y’all can take your turn watching her. She’s putting on like she’s sick, but I can’t make out nothing she says.”
Loi exhaled softly, relief flooding her. Tex called out to Shorty, the name of the man who had shown her some kindness.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Something about the beans. There’s no mystery what beans do to a body, I don’t care who y’all are. Wasn’t nothing to get all riled up about like she done.”
“You plan to be gone long?”
Loi listened to the squeak of leather as Tex hoisted himself in his saddle. He used the same disagreeable voice to talk to his partner in crime that he used with her. “None of your business. You took long enough getting back here. Figure on me being gone the same. Maybe longer. I’m fixing to head someplace I can find me a real woman—a healthy one.”
Loi heard Tex ride away. She expected the man named Shorty to take his horse over to where Tex had been keeping his in order to unsaddle and care for it. Instead, her face wrinkled in confusion as she listened to him dismount in front of the cabin. Shorty stepped into the doorway, temporarily blocking the light. She heard him move into the dimness of the cabin and squat at her side.
“Miss Ling, are you sick?”
Loi nodded. She kept her knees clamped together and her arms cinched around her middle. “Need privacy.”
Loi sensed him rise to a standing position at her side as he gently took her elbow to help her stand. He slowly guided her out the door and turned left towards the wooded area where he had taken her before.
“I’m glad to see Tex isn’t keeping your hands tied up anymore. I’d like to take the blindfold off, but I’m afraid that will have to stay on. I don’t mean you any harm, Miss Ling. Nobody is sorrier than I am that I played a role in you being stolen off that stagecoach, and that you are now being held here for ransom. Unfortunately, I don’t dare let you go, and I don’t dare let you see my face to where you could identify me to the law.”
In a fit of pique, Loi tightened her lips and said nothing as she allowed Shorty to lead her to a private place.
If you’re so sorry, then why did you do it? The night Boss brought me here, he offered you money to go. Why didn’t you go? You’re greedy, just like they are. You stayed to get more money from Boss.
Loi quickly berated herself for her unkind thoughts. Although he was greedy, at least Shorty was more considerate towards her than the others. If he had taken her off the stage and found the fifty dollars in her reticule, he might have been satisfied with that amount and let her go.
Loi felt better by the time she rejoined Shorty and allowed him to guide her back to the cabin. Even though the autumn season meant cooler weather, she marveled how the heat of the sun reached to her through her black clothing. Soon, she once again sat in the doorway to enjoy the warmth before the sun traveled west and put her stool in shadow.
Loi listened to Shorty drop an armload of supplies in the corner by the fireplace. He made a second trip outside and returned with more. Only then did he leave to take care of his horse. With an anticipation she could not explain, she listened to his footsteps approa
ch and enter the cabin.
“Do you feel better now, Miss Ling?”
Loi held one arm tight against her stomach. Her opposite palm she placed on her forehead. “Ling Loi stomach hurt very much, head hurt very much. Food bad. Very many beans, no cooked good. Coffee no good—very strong.”
Loi began to feel bad about her attitude. She did feel a little better. “Need beans to grow in water, dark jar, before eat. Then Ling Loi no get sick.”
“Hmm. When I was in Chinatown, I ate something that looked like sprouted beans. They must have been kept out of the sunlight, because there was no green on them. I’ll see if I can sprout some for you—if we’re here that long. For now, I brought some black tea. If I fix some, do you think it will help you feel better?”
Wearing a hopeful expression, Loi jerked her head up. She nodded with a smile. “Hou aa! Yes!”
~o0o~
Luke picked up the coffeepot Tex had set at the outside corner of the grate in his stone fireplace and shook it. There was little coffee left. He stepped outside and poured the remainder on the ground. He shook his head in disgust as he noted the dark color. No wonder she did not want any, even if the Chinese were inclined to drink the brew. He took the pot down to the creek that ran below the cabin and not only rinsed out the pot, but scrubbed it with creek sand. He brought the filled container up to the cabin and set it on the grate to heat.
Once the water began to boil, Luke found a rag and pulled the pot off the flame before cutting a chunk off of the brick of tea and adding it to the water. He next set his mind to figuring out what to use for a second cup, for he intended to drink some tea, too. He felt a stab of regret that he had not bought a second one at the time he bought the plate for Loi.
A thought occurred to Luke. He rummaged through the supply of food he had brought and pulled out an airtight. He jammed the tip of his knife in the lid of the tin can and began to work his way around the edge to open it.
“Miss Ling, do you like peaches?”
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Chapter 18
~o0o~
L oi’s eyes widened. Before she could prevent it, a smile lit her face. “Peaches good.” Loi listened as the man worked something metallic to open the can. Next, she felt him nudge her hand. She grasped what she quickly recognized to be an enamel plate with steep sides.
“You hold that real tight, Miss Ling. I’ll pour some of the liquid in that plate and chop up the peaches for you. I think I’ve got a spoon around here somewhere for you to use. Perhaps that will help settle your digestion. Later on, I’ll share some food from where I stayed last night. It isn’t Chinese food, but it has rice in it. You can pick out the beans.”
“Rice?” The excitement in her voice slipped out before Loi thought to stop it.
Loi heard the soft laugh coming from Shorty. She doubted her wisdom in revealing to her captor how pleased she felt that he had brought her food made with rice. She marveled that with Shorty, she found it difficult to stay angry.
“Yes. I know it’s made different than what you’re used to, but maybe you can eat it without feeling sick.”
The two said nothing else as Loi awkwardly held the spoon and felt her way around the dish to eat the peach bites. She then lifted the bowl of syrup to her lips and drank it. She could hear Shorty eat his portion straight from the can.
“I hope you enjoyed those peaches as much as I did, Miss Ling. If nothing else, this can will hold my tea. Since you didn’t come with gloves—not that I know of, anyway—I’ll give you my cup with the handle so you don’t burn your fingers.”
Shorty’s words sounded comforting to her ears. He spoke as if her welfare mattered to him. In silence, they each drank two cups of tea. Loi felt her stomach upset ease and her headache gradually disappear. For the first time since she had been captured off of the stagecoach, she felt a measure of peace.
In spite of her determination to not think well of the men who held her hostage, she found her feelings for Shorty running the gamut from one extreme of hating him to the opposite of liking him and feeling grateful for his kindness. She chided herself for her kind feelings toward him. She realized, no matter how nicely he treated her now, once she was returned to either Ah Chin in Lundy, or found by the hatchet men sent from the On Yick tong, the punishment she would receive for allowing herself to be stolen and gone so long would negate it all.
After they finished their tea, Loi listened as Shorty walked to the other side of the cabin. She heard him fiddle with something high on the wall. When he returned, Loi lifted her head and sniffed the air to detect what Luke held in his hand.
“Chicken?”
“Yes. I bought a fresh chicken for tonight. I thought I’d go down to the creek to clean it so I can make an early supper. I have some eggs, too.”
All Loi’s resolve to dislike the man withered away. “Egg-drop soup? Chop chicken on rice?”
She bit her lip with embarrassment as Shorty laughed at her excitement.
“I planned to grill the organ meat and fry the chicken. However, if that is how you want yours fixed, I’ll cut some up to put with the rice mix I brought you. Tomorrow we will stew the other part of the chicken. The eggs are for flapjacks in the morning, but I guess I can let you have one to cook how you want.”
Later, Loi sat in silence as she listened to Shorty work at the fireplace to prepare their supper. She allowed the scents to reveal to her which food he cooked and how close to being finished it might be. Then again, the Americans fixed some of their food so differently than how she would, she could not be completely sure.
“I’m almost finished, Miss Ling. I’m warming up some of that rice and bean dish I was given last night, although I ate the beef that was with it yesterday. While I do that, I’ll cut up some of this cooked chicken to go on top.”
Loi reached a hand in the direction of the side wall. “Shorty. Ling Loi need bag, please.”
Loi listened as the man set down a plate and rose to walk where she pointed. He handed her the valise. Twisting her lips in annoyance at the feel of the loose pieces of lining fabric Tex had cut away from the outside covering, she rummaged around inside until she found two slender sticks. She pulled them out and positioned them in the fingers of her right hand.
Loi lowered her head to hide her smile in response to the surprise in Shorty’s voice. “You brought your own chopsticks with you, huh? I saw some when I was in Chinatown. This old Chinaman tried to get me to use them, but I never could get the hang of it.”
Loi felt her dish of food placed in her hands before she heard Shorty move to sit behind her.
His next words surprised her. “Now, Miss Ling, I’m going to stay behind you and take your blindfold off so you can see what you’re eating. But, if you try to turn around and look at me, I’ll put it back on, take your food away, and tie up your hands. Do you understand?”
After suppressing her resentment over the threat that followed his offer of kindness, Loi nodded her agreement. She felt the bandanna being pulled off her head. With it came the hat she had been wearing. She realized her hair, which had already been pulled loose from the combs she had used to style it, tumbled unevenly down her back. Even though she knew she now looked even more unkempt, she sighed in relief to finally be free of the blindfold, at least while she ate her meal.
~o0o~
Behind her line of vision, Luke rose to his knees while he devoured his chicken. He watched in fascination as Loi rapidly worked the chopsticks around to scoop up her food. It amazed him how she could grab the bite-size pieces of meat and lift them to her mouth without dropping them. He noticed she separated out the pinto beans and shoved them in a pile rather than eat them.
“I’ll eat the beans when you finish, Miss Ling.”
Loi sucked in her breath. “Sorry. Want rice?” Loi started to turn to offer her plate as she asked her question, but jerked her head back forward when Luke put his hand forward to stop her. She dropped h
er gaze to the ground. “Sorry. Ling Loi forget.”
“I know you forgot. Miss Ling, it’s for your safety. If Tex and Cha…I mean, Boss know you’ve seen any of us, it might be dangerous for you.”
Loi shook her head. “No see.”
“I just hope the rice tastes all right.”
Loi took another bite of rice. “Taste good. Not good like how Chinese cook, but good.”
Luke smiled. From her tone of voice, he guessed she did not care for it all that much. “I have some raw rice. Tomorrow, if Tex and Boss aren’t back, and you promise to not look at me, I’ll let you fix the chicken and rice the way you like it. I even bought some vegetables you might want to use. Agreed?”
Luke’s smile widened as Loi sucked in her breath and nodded with excitement. “Hou aa! Yes! Ling Loi not look, cook rice and chicken. You like.”
Luke hoped so. While in San Francisco, he had enjoyed food fixed the Chinese way.
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Chapter 19
~o0o~
A fter Loi set her almost empty plate off to the side, Shorty, his bandanna covering the lower half of his face, walked to the front of the cabin and cracked the door open to look outside. At first, she studied his stature, although all she could see was his back. She did not understand why he was called Shorty. He seemed to her to be average in height for an American, which was quite tall when compared to her. He possessed a thin build with wiry muscles. Her eyes moved to the strange weapon he wore. An ax head, much different than the hatchets carried by the boo how doy of Chinatown, was attached to a long, decorated pole hanging from a loop on his belt. Unlike bigger men like Tex who had big muscles that hit hard, but moved slower, Loi suspected that when Shorty fought with that weapon, he could move swiftly and strike accurately.